Pom Poko (1994): Ponkichi as the Hidden Protagonist, Seen Through Porco Rosso
Isao Takahata’s Pom Poko(Official Studio Ghibli Website) was released in 1994. It remains my favorite among the many Studio Ghibli films. This time, I want to focus on…
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Browse every SifrInsight article in reverse chronological order, from the newest publication back through the archive.
Pom Poko (1994): The Anatomy of Defeat and the Spirit of “Somehow, We Go On Living”
I have written about Oroku’s words and Operation Specter. This time, I want to consider what kind of story Pom Poko(Studio Ghibli Official) is as a whole. Looking…
Princess Mononoke (1997): Miyazaki’s Pom Poko—A Personal Reading
Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke(Studio Ghibli Official) was released in 1997. I saw it in a cinema as a child and still love it. But my first Ghibli film…
Princess Mononoke (1997): Eboshi’s Sympathy for San and Moro’s Contradiction
Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke(Studio Ghibli Official) was released in 1997. This time, I want to consider the puzzling circumstances surrounding San. The first person to consider is Eboshi.…
Princess Mononoke (1997): Why Eboshi Does Not Return to Irontown
Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke(Studio Ghibli Official) was released in 1997. His previous theatrical film was Porco Rosso; perhaps by then he had begun making films for himself rather…
Pom Poko (1994): Operation Specter, Comedy, and the Work of Animation
In my previous article, I considered Oroku’s words and offered a bawdy theory about her secret art. This time, I want to discuss Pom Poko(Official Studio Ghibli) and…
Pom Poko (1994): Memories of the First Ghibli Film I Ever Saw in a Theater
What was the first Studio Ghibli film you saw in a cinema? Mine was Pom Poko(Studio Ghibli Official). Perhaps that is part of the reason it remains my…
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX (2025): Shuji, Amuro, and a Theory of Creation
From April to June 2025, I watched Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX(Official), directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki of FLCL and Diebuster. After seeing the theatrical release, Beginning, my expectations were…
Pom Poko (1994): Oroku’s Intervention and the Secret Art—An Interpretation
Pom Poko(Studio Ghibli Official) is Isao Takahata’s 1994 animated film about shape-shifting tanuki, or Japanese raccoon dogs. Here, I want to consider what makes its opening so interesting—and…
Porco Rosso (1992): Characters, Voice Actors, Analysis, and Character Map
Hayao Miyazaki’s Porco Rosso(Studio Ghibli Official) was released in 1992. Here, I revisit its characters and voice cast and consider what makes these people—and their stories—so appealing. The…
Porco Rosso (1992): Gina’s Three Marriages and Why She Turns Curtis Down
Hayao Miyazaki’s Porco Rosso(Studio Ghibli Official) was released in 1992. I have watched it many times since childhood, finding something new with each viewing. This time, I want…
Grave of the Fireflies (1988): Why Seita and Setsuko Remain as Ghosts
Grave of the Fireflies(Studio Ghibli Official), Isao Takahata’s 1988 animated film, begins with the striking line: “September 21, 1945. That was the night I died.” I think it…
Porco Rosso (1992): Why Porco Insists on Being a Pig
Hayao Miyazaki’s Porco Rosso(Studio Ghibli Official) was released in 1992, just early enough that I might have seen it in a cinema. I think my first viewing was…
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989): Characters, Voice Actors, Analysis & Character Map
Hayao Miyazaki#8217;s Kiki#8217;s Delivery Service(Studio Ghibli Official) is a 1989 animated feature. Here, I look back at the characters and voice actors of Kiki#8217;s Delivery Service, considering their…
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989): Synopsis, Analysis, and Character Map
Hayao Miyazaki’s Kiki#8217;s Delivery Service(Studio Ghibli Official) opened in Japan on July 29, 1989. I was already alive then, though I first saw it on television rather than…
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989): Why Is the Senior Witch So Unfriendly?
In earlier articles, I considered why Jiji stops talking and why Kiki loses her magic. This time, I want to look at the senior witch who leaves us…
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989): Jiji’s Silence and Kiki’s Growth
Why does Jiji still only meow at the end of Hayao Miyazaki’s 1989 film Kiki’s Delivery Service(Studio Ghibli Official)? Alongside its story, the film left a strong impression…
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989): Why Kiki Can’t Fly—A Reading of Talent and Growing Up
Why does Kiki lose the power to fly in Hayao Miyazaki’s 1989 film Kiki’s Delivery Service(Studio Ghibli Official)? There are many interpretations of this question, and I think…
Grave of the Fireflies (1988): Characters, English Dub Cast, and Analysis
Isao Takahata directed the 1988 animated film Grave of the Fireflies(Official Studio Ghibli). For many Japanese viewers, I suspect it ranks first among films they never want to…
Grave of the Fireflies (1988): Synopsis, Analysis, and Character Map
Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies(Official Studio Ghibli) was released on April 16, 1988. It is based on Akiyuki Nosaka’s novel of the same name. I cannot remember…